Package



Nov. 15,1927. 1,649,692

C. E. HEMMINGER PACKAGE Fi d D 16, 1924 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 v VINVENTOR cflfi emmz/ j MJMW 26,

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES NOV- 15 c. E. HEMMINGER PACKAGE Filed Dec. 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES,

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1 5, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED, STATES raoxAGE.

Application filed December 16, 1924. Serial No. 756,277,

My invention relates to improvements in containers made of paper or like material,

more particularly to a container which is adapted to hold cigarettes or like articles, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An important object of the invention is to provide a container of the character described which is adapted to be opened more easily than a like container of ordinary con struction, a container from which the contents can 'be removed with relatively great ease and without likelihood of injury, to provide a container of the character described which will be form retaining when it has been opened until all the articles have been removed therefrom, and to provide a container which when used to hold cigarettes permits the convenient removal of the cigarettes Without permitting spilling of tobacco from the ends of the cigarettes and without causing crushing or injury to the last few cigarettes within the package or making necessary any pounding or like manipulation of the container to move the cig arettes therewithin to a suitable position to permit their removal.

Other objects and advantages will be ap;

parent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompany-' ing drawing, in. which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container for cigarettes equipped with a practical embodiment of the invention and shown closed.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the cigarette container after it has been opened.

F igure'3 is a plan view of the container with portions of the wall thereof broken away,

Figures 4;, 5 and 6 respectively are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3, showing a container embodying a second .form of the invention,

Figures 7, 8 and 9 respectively are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3, showing a container embodying a third form of the in vention, and

Figures 10, i1 and 12 consecutively are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3, showing a container embodying a fourth form of the invention.

' In consideration of these figures and the subsequent description it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim. L

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, 1 show therein a container l1avlnga body 1 formed with the walls'thereof of any suitable material, as for example to comprise an inner ply of paper, a middle ply of tinfoil and an outer wrapping of paper as clearly shown in Figure 3 and as is usual in'the construction of packages for holding cigarettes or like articles.

The body 1 is substantially rectangular in cross sectional contour and is formed at each of its normally upper and lower ends with a front flap 1, a rear flap l" and side flaps l which are folded flatwise to position'to lap one another and secured together in any suitable known manner whereby the body will be closed at the upper and lower ends thereof. In Figures 1,2 and 3 I show only the flaps at theupper ends of the body 1 but it of course will be understood that the body 1 ordinarily isformed with like fia'ps at the lower end thereof. The vertical walls of the body 1 are imperforate and cigarettes or like articles within the body will be kept in good condition after the flaps at the upper and lower ends of the body have been folded over and secured together in the manner described. The relatively wide opposite vertical walls of the body respectively will be termed the front and rear walls of the body while the narrower vertical walls of the body will be termed the side walls thereof during the course of the following description. It will be observed at this point that the side flaps 1 are folded under the front and rear flaps 1* and 1 respectively at the ends of the body when the latter is closed.-

The end walls of the body which are formed of the folded overlapped flaps secured together in any suitable known manner are in contact with the opposite ends of cigarettes within the body and retain the tobacco in place within the ends of the cigarettes.

Prior to my invention, a container for cigarettes of the character described so far has been opened at either the upper or lower end, usually the upper end, by opening the flaps. Tobacco then is permitted to spill from the exposed ends of the cigarettes and moreover it ordinarily is necessary to strike removed from the container.

the container at the end opposite the open end to jar the cigarettes from position within the container a distance sufficient to permit individual cigarettes to be grasped and The opening of the container at one end thereof permits collapse of the vertical walls of the body of the container and causes crushing of the cigarettes therewithin when comparatively few cigarettes remain in the container. These objectionable features incident to the opening and removal of cigarettes from a container of the character that has been described so far prior to my invention are entirely obviated when the container is equipped with a practical embodiment of the invention. Moreover, because of the greater ease in removal the objects may be packed tighter than before.

In carrying out the invention, I provide an opening string 2 at each side of the container body. Each opening string 2 extends within the container body against the inner face of a side wall thereof for practically the full length of the side Wall and extends from the container body through openings 3 at the upper and lower ends of that side wall of the container body, the one end of the opening string, indicated at 2 extending at one end of the container body beneath the folded over front and rear flaps 1-1 and being secured against displacement from position beneath such folded over flaps in any suitable known manner, as by means of glue.

the other end of the opening string 2 bein in similar position at the other end of the is necessary to the aid of y the container.

containing body but not necessarily secured. In order to open the container body, it only grasp the end portion 2 of the opening string and then to pull the intermediate portion of the opening string outward, through a side wall of the contamer body,

thus making an elongated verticalslit or aperture 4 in the side wall of the container body enlarged if necessary with the finger, through which individual cigarettes can be conveniently and easily removed from the container body. Since the end walls of the container body are left intact, the vertical walls of the container body are braced against collapse and the container body retains its form'after it has been opened to permit the removal of cigarettes thenefrom. Moreover, the end walls of the container body remain in contact with the ends of the cigarette within the container so that tobacco will be prevented from spilling from the ends of the cigarettes and the cigarettes are kept in place within the container until they are removed by being grasped and withdrawn through. the aperture 4. This is true until the last cigarette has been withdrawn from Since the container is form retaining after it has been opened to permit the removal of cigarettes, the cigarettes therewithin are not likely to be crushed when the container is carried in the pocket of a garment after it has been opened.

In Figures 4. 5 and 6, I show a container for cigarettes having a body similar in size and shape to that exhibited in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and indicated generally at 10. The container body 10 is closed at its upper and lower ends by a folded over front flap 10, rear flap 10 and side flaps 10.

One of the side walls of the container body 10 is formed with a folded over vertical portion indicated at 11 which extends the full length of the side wall and which also may extend in the side flaps 10 at the ends of the container body, as at 11". In this case the folded portion may be broken to the Wall at 11. When this folded over portion ll has been torn from the container body an elongated vertical aperture 12 will be provided in the side wall of the container body through which the Contents of the container body can be removed. The aperture may be enlarged with linger or other means if necessary.

in Figures 7. 8 and 9, I show a container body :20 having a side wall thereof formed to comprise an inner side flap 21, upper and lower end flaps The upper and lower end flaps 22 are folded iiatwise upon the inner side flaps 21 and the outer side flap 23 then is folded flatwise upon the end flaps 22 and the inner side flap 21 and is secured in place by a sticker 24 which may be any suitable adhesive strip that can be torn readily. In actual practice, the sticker 24 probably will be a revenue stamp.

To open the container body 20, it only is necessary to tear the securing strip 24, as illustrated in Figure 8 and to then open out the side flaps to an extent sufiieient to permit removal of cigarettes from the container body.

The body of the container exhibited in Figs. 10. 11 and 12 is designated 30. This body has the upper and lower ends thereof formed of flaps, such as the front flap 30, the rear flap 30* and the side. flaps 30. An opening strip 31 made of fabric or like material that is not likely to be torn easily extends within the container body against the inner face of one side wall of the container body to which it may be secured by glue if desired. The ends of the opening strip 31 are indicated at 31 and extend from the interior of the container body through suitable openings at oppositeends of said side walls of the container body.

In order to open the container body, it only is necessary to grasp one of the projeeting ends 35 and to pull the opening strip forcibly through the side wall of the container body, which will result in a vertical aperture, as indicated at 32 in Figure 11 22 and an outer side flap 23.

being formed in the side wall of the container body. The contents of the container body may be removed through the aperture 32, hereinbefore described. This aperture to be '-.1larged in any manner it necessary.

It is to be observed that in each of the embodiments of the invention which have been described in the foregoing, the vertical walls of the container body are held against collapse after the container body has been opened to permit the removal of the contents thereof and that cigarettes within the container body are held in position therewithin until removed from the container body. Moreover, in each form of the container body that has been described in the foregoing, cigarettes are in contact at their opposite ends with end walls of the container body until they have been removed from the container body and therefore spilling of tobacco from the ends of the cigarettes is obviated. However, it is understood that the folding of the containing body need not be in every case as described unless the nature of the invention requires it as in l igures 7, 8, and 9. For instance, the inner layer may be folded so as to introduce a smooth surface toward the ends of the cigarettes or a smooth piece of paper or cardboard may be introduced in that position to prevent the cigarette ends from catching on the ends of the folded parts.

folded inwardly and downwardly onto the adjacent ends of the articles within the paclc L age, the front and rear flaps being folded inwardly and downwardly onto the side flaps and secured to the latter, and means of substantial width extending from the base of one of the side flaps for substantially the full length of the body and operable manually to produce an opening substantially only slightly larger than the width and length of one of the articles in the side of the body through which the articles may be removed one by one from the body, said opening producing means constituting a longitudinal l'IlGll'll)0I' extending beneath a side wall of the body and having an exposed end portion, said opening producing member being adapted when pulled to cut through said side wall only of the body.

CHARLES EDWARD HEMMINGER. 

